Blightbringer

Mk4 has been announced, and we need to talk about what it means for the future of this website. Please join the discussion either on the WMU Facebook Group or the Talk:Main Page area of this wiki.

Blightbringer Legion Gargantuan Warbeast

Shrouded by a cloud of blighted ash, the Blightbringer burns with an inner fire like that of the dragons themselves. Hails of gunfire disappear in the billowing haze, and the dragonspawn’s overwhelming emissions smother the talents of enemy spellcasters. So hot are the fires burning within that the very blood pumping through its veins remains at a perpetual boil. The Blightbringer is the flame around which the legion gathers, while the empires of men and dragons tremble at their approach.

Blightbringer, the Legion gargantuan Blight Bringer, the spell

Basic Info

Blightbringer
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Huge SPD 5 STR 14 MAT 6 RAT 5 M.A. N/A DEF 9 ARM 19 CMD 6 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY 5 THRS 7 HP 54 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA 2 UNIT SIZE N/A COST 30 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

• Warbeast - All warbeasts share a huge stack of special rules. The short version is they're big, furious, and beat stuff up pretty good. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.
• Gargantuan - Gargantuans are mega-warbeasts, even bigger and stompier. They use nearly all the same rules as normal warbeasts but with a few alterations. These changes are summarized here or can be read in full here.

Abilities

• Eyeless Sight
• Soulless
• Blighted Breath - At the beginning of this model's activation, choose one of the following Blighted Breath effects. While in this model's command range, models are affected by the chosen effect. Blighted Breath effects last for one round. If this model frenzies, it must choose Withering Ash at the start of its activation.
  • Dragon's Breath - Affected friendly Factiion warrior models gain +2 STR and ARM.
  • Spiritual Corruption - Affected enemy models cannot cast or channel spells.
  • Withering Ash - All affected models gain concealment. Affected enemy models without Immunity: Fire suffer -2 DEF and lose Tough.

Weapons

• Blight Fire - 14" range, 5" AOE, POW 15 ranged weapon
  • Damage Type: Fire
  • Blight Ash - The AOE remains in play for one round. While in the AOE, models are affected by the chosen Blighted Breath effect.
• Tail - 2" reach, P+S 18 melee weapon.
  • Critical Poison - On a critical hit, gain an additional die on this weapon's damage rolls against living models.
• Impaling Spike (x2) - 2" reach, P+S 17 melee weapon.

Animus

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Boiling Blood	1	SELF	-	-	Round	-
When the spellcaster suffers damage as a result of an enemy melee attack, after the attack is resolved the spellcaster can make a SP 8, POW 10 ranged attack targeting the enemy attacker. Each model covered by the template is automatically hit and suffers the Fire continuous effect unless this model's LOS to it is blocked by terrain. Boiling Blood damage is simultaneous. The spellcaster can make this attack even while in melee. Boiling Blood lasts one round.

Theme Forces

• Children of the Dragon
• Oracles of Annihilation
• Primal Terrors
• Ravens of War

Recent changes

2021. October

• Dropped 2 points (from 32)

Thoughts on the Blightbringer

Blightbringer in a nutshell

The Blightbringer is a support-oriented gargantuan. While the Archangel may be the culmination of the beauty of dragons and the pinnacle of Everblight's realization of his kind, the Blightbringer is the embodiment of the twisted and horrific nature of a dragon's blight. This can be no better seen in both the appearance and the model rules themselves. While the Archangel is a swift skirmishing piece that weakens the enemy at range and then goes for the killing blow, the Blightbringer is a slower but equally powerful cannon who supports its army with the effects of its Blighted Breath. Indeed, Blighted Breath makes Blightbringer one of the most effective support Gargantuans. It's animus, though situational, can also cause a lot of surprise, especially for hard hitting, elusive models.

The Blightbringer's gun appears like that of a Ravagore's at first glance, but when you dig deeper into the breath effects, it does much more than throw out one powerful shot. This ability allows for a number of useful effects to increase the effectiveness of the rest of your army, especially that of your infantry. See Tips and Tricks for a detailed rundown.

When using the Blightbringer as the backbone of an infantry list, remember that it also affects the area around it, meaning it can serve as an anchor as you march up the field, and also can provide its buff even when committed to melee. Be careful sending it into combat though; it hits weaker than the Archangel (unless you roll a crit to its Tail Strike), and despite having 1 more FURY it is only a tad bit more survivable via its 4 more HP. The animus may provide protection against light/medium infantry ganging up and around you, but the restriction that you must target the attacking model leaves ample space for counterplay.

Combos & Synergies

The Blightbringer does not simply slot into a list and work due to its nature as mainly infantry support; instead an army is likely better built around the Blightbringer as it will be a main player in the list's strategy. Additionally, it has a lot less value in beast bricks due to his slower speed and less overall impact since its best breath option doesn't affect other beasts.

• Kallus1 and the Blightbringer are like a match made in heaven. Kallus doesn't generally want a lot of beasts to begin with, and the Blightbringer neatly spends his warbeast points (and a little extra), leaving him free to max out on his favorite trooper for the Blightbringer to buff. Additionally, the Blightbringer can choose to double down on damage buffs with the STR/ARM breath with Ignite, or double down on accuracy with the -2DEF breath and Dark Guidance - or mix and match, if it suits you. The STR/ARM breath pair nicely with Unyielding, and can make a decent case for a unit of screening Legionnaires with Farilor. With Battle driven + Minifeat they top out at ARM23 and knockdown immunity.
• Thagrosh1 - Once the enemy is in Thagrosh's Death Shroud and Dragon's Breath area, your forces will effectively get +4 ARM, while your Ogrun Warpsearps will swing at P+S19 against their Prey targets with Draconic Blessing. This spell also make your troops immune to fire, so the Blightbringer can fire away without regard for them.
• Fyanna2 might prefer a very fast list, but she does like her fair share of infantry, meaning she can run a Blightbringer variant if you want to. A unit under Iron Flesh and stacked inside Dragon's Breath can be way harder to kill than it should be. Swordsmen are incredibly deliverable with this combo, and then turn around and become P+S16 weapon masters if you stack Fury with Dragon's Breath on their target.
• Lylyth2 - Though shooting twice under feat may not seem much, Warspears on her feat can have a field day. Since the Blightbringer has two shots on the feat, you can have his Dragon's Breath buff in three places at once. With the Thrown special rule Warspears can charge in on Lylyth's feat, selecting their feated Gunfighter spear as the charge attack. This allows them to make their assault attack, then take their charge attack using the thrown spear. Finally, they can make the second ranged attack, using the thrown spear again, giving each Warspear three attacks. These are all P+S17 if they're attacking their prey and are in the Blightbringer AOE. Additionally, each attack will benefit from Pincushion if it's running, making the attacks a little more efficient than if you had simply charged with the melee version of the spear.
• Rhyas1 tends to favor troopers because of Dash as well as greater volume of attacks for her feat, so a Blightbringer can be a decent fit for her. She also struggles with a lot of FURY so a single big beast can be a benefit to her. Rapport can give the Blightbringer much needed accuracy buffs which really goes into overdrive with Withering Ash(MAT10 AGAINST MODELS WITHOUT fIRE IMMUNITY), and she can use Acrobatics to hide and charge over him to say safe when she wants to get work done herself. The Blightbringer cannot be placed as a result of her feat, but it does get the extra attack. Also, Dragon's Breath affects Rhyas as well, while Withering Ash improves your Crit chances immensely.
• Hellmouths are warrior models, so they benefit disproportionately from ARM buffs because of Impervious Flesh.
• Bethayne2 - Under her feat your Blightbringer can commit into melee and live to fight another round, while Transmutation synergizes pretty much with the entire toolkit of the Blightbringer. Dissolved guns and blades can also double-dip into the STR bonus.
• Anamag1 - you can see her running a Blightbringer more often than any other warlock. Her spells (Fury's Strength and Bond of Gristle & Bone) add up nicely with Blightbringer's Dragon's Breath and her feat takes the STR buff even further, allowing her army for an effective +6 to damage rolls swing.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Fairly poor MAT and RAT, though high FURY and long range can help mitigate this.
  • Withering Ash can also boost its accuracy against non fire immune targets within 6".
• Limited use in large battlegroups as it's other breaths are not as universally good.
• The usual downfalls of being a Gargantuan (easy to see and shoot to high heaven and back).
• Slightly pillow-fisted for a Gargantuan.

Tricks & Tips

Blight Aura guide

• Though the chosen effect will be changed at the start of the model's activation, the previous one will be active only for one round so you will never have 2 active aura effect from a single Blightbringer.
• Note for beginners: neither the Blightbringer's aura, nor the AoE is a cloud effect - so they don't block line of sight, cannot be neutralized with Wind Blast, etc. Also models don't need to be completely within the AoE to gain the effect - including concealment from Withering Ash.
• If you intend to do use Dragon's Breath's STR bonus, you may want to activate the Blightbringer early so your models charging in will get the bonus. If you want to target your own warrior model with the Blight Fire's AoE, the model will get the ARM bonus against the damage roll. Usually the +2 ARM on your warrior models makes difference only if you have additional ARM buff like Kallus1's Unyielding, Thagrosh1's Death Field, the Blight Archon's Dragon's Blood, the Legionnaires' Wall of Steel/Battle Driven, or you have naturally tough models like the Chosen of Everblight. On the bright side, most of your warlocks are affected by it as well and it cannot be cancelled by Blessed weapons or Dispel.
• Spiritual Corruption is rarely used and requires quite a lot of second-guessing of your enemy's intentions but against powerful magic-wielding lists it can be a good area control. The Hermit in particular must get within 5" to use his Word of Ruin ability, which will be impossible within 6" of the Blightbringer. Blight Fire's AoE can also limit where your enemy's arc node or Spell Driver models can go and with good positioning they often must come closer than intended. Don't forget that animi are also spells and the enemy getting locked out of Rage or Primal may severely hamper the effectiveness of their beatsticks. Finally, Spiritual Corruption plays nicely along with the Nephilim Bloodseer's Arcane Suppression aura: you can shut down a portion of the battlefield where they can cast spells, and set up a zone where they will cast it with +1 COST.
• Withering Ash may have stiff competition with Dragon's Breath as you must assess incoming threats and plan accordingly whether your infantry will be protected better by the +2 DEF bonus from concealment or the +2 ARM. If you have mainly high DEF - low ARM models (typically most of the Blighted Nyss infantry range), and the enemy cannot engage you with blast AoEs or sprays you may want to rely on Withering Ash as DEF 15-16 can force a lot if misses, even from elite gunlines. It is also the only effect that will work on your non-gargantuan battlegroup members, pumping up the ranged DEF of the Carnivean chassis to 14, and the flying warbeasts' to 16. The enemy will also be affected by concealment, something to watch out for with your non-eyeless sighted ranged units. The -2 DEF is a great accuracy fixer for all - including the Blightbringer if you want to commit it to melee in the later stage of the game. Last but not least, cancelling Tough rolls can be quite effective against no-knockdown+tough combos and Trolls in general.

Other

Trivia

Released in Hordes: Devastation (2015)

Other Legion models

Legion Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warlocks	Absylonia1 - Absylonia2 - Anamag - Bethayne1 - Bethayne2 - Fyanna2 - Kallus1 - Kallus2 - Kryssa - Lylyth1 - Lylyth2 - Lylyth3 - Lylyth4 - Rhyas1 - Saeryn1 - Saeryn2 & Rhyas2 - Thagrosh1 - Thagrosh2 - Vayl1 - Vayl2
Other Warbeast Controllers	Beast Mistress - Blight Archon - Thagrosh0
Lesser	Blight Wasps - Shredder - Harrier - Mekanoshredder - Stinger
Light	Afflictor - Naga Nightlurker - Nephilim Bloodseer - Nephilim Bolt Thrower - Nephilim Protector - Nephilim Soldier - Raek - Teraph
Heavy	Angelius - Azrael - Carnivean - Golab - Neraph - Proteus - Ravagore - Scythean - Typhon - Seraph - Zuriel
Gargantuans	Archangel - Blightbringer
Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Units	Blackfrost Shard - B.N. Archers - B.N. Hex Hunters - B.N. Legionnaires - B.N. Raptors - B.N. Scather Crew - B.N. Swordsmen - B. Rotwings - B.O. Warmongers - B.O. Warspears - Chosen - Grotesque Banshees - Grotesque Raiders - Hellmouth - Ice Witches - Strider Blightblades - Strider Scouts - Spawning Vessel - Virtue Host
Solos	Ammok - Annyssa Ryvaal - Beast Mistress - Blight Archon - B.N Shepherd - B.N. Sorceress - B.N. Warlord - Craelix - Forsaken - Fyanna1 - Grotesque Assassin - Incubi - Spell Martyr - Strider Deathstalker - Succubus - Thagrosh0 - Virtue Champion - B.O. Warmonger War Chief - Yssylla
Battle Engines	Throne of Everblight
Theme Forces
Children of the Dragon - Oracles of Annihilation - Primal Terrors - Ravens of War
Minions
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Legion of Everblight Minion
This index was last updated: 2021.11

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Fire      (Edit) If you deploy in fire hazard terrain (Burning Earth), then you get set on fire before the game starts. Deploying a model in a hazard counts as being "put into play" in the hazard. Being put into play counts as "entering". When you enter a hazard, you trigger the hazard. Moving into "Shallow water" standard terrain does not cause continuous fire to expire. It's magic fire. You can always use non-standard terrain if you agree with your opponent before the game starts, however. A weapon can inflict continuous fire without itself being a fire damage weapon (for example, the Helios's fists). In this case, the attack can hurt models with Immunity:Fire it just won't apply the continuous effect. In terms of which player's clock is running down during the Maintenance Phase: The active player will roll for expiration of all the continuous effects. Then the inactive player will roll for all the damages of the continuous effects. (Judge Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Blight Ash and/or Chem Trail - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Poison - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Gargantuan      (Edit) Warroom 2017 bug: Gargantuan's have their animus labelled as "spells". Despite this, it's an animus and as such the warlock can cast it. This is a known bug. (Staff Comment) 2020 bug: The animus doesn't show up at all. You'll have to go to the official card database instead. Refer to the Gargantuan article for a recap of their rules. Huge Base (Edit) You can draw LOS from your Left arc to a target in your Right arc (and vice versa). See also this diagram Huge-based models get bonus distance if they do a Power Attack: Slam or Power Attack: Power Strike. But this bonus doesn't apply to slams triggered by normal attacks (such as Critical Smite or the Hurricane's Thunder Charge ability). Also, simply being on a huge base triggers a bunch of rules scattered throughout the rulebook, click to read them.   [Show/Hide] From the 2020.02 edition of the core rules (Edit) Fields of Fire Page 37 A huge-based model’s front arc is marked on its base. Its front arc is further divided into two 90° fields of fire. These fields of fire determine which models a huge-based model can target with its weapons, depending on the location of those weapons. Weapons located on a huge-based model’s left side (L) can be used to target only models in its left field of fire, and weapons located on its right side (R) can be used to target only models in its right field of fire. Weapons with locations “S,” “H,” or “—” can be used to target models in either field of fire. If any part of a model’s base is on the line separating the left and right fields of fire, the model is considered to be in both fields of fire. Concealment, Cover, LOS Page 49 Concealment & Cover - Huge-based models never gain the DEF bonuses from concealment or cover. Page 60 Clouds - Cloud effects do not block line of sight to huge-based models. Page 87 Forests - Forests do not block line of sight to huge-based models. Huge-Based models in melee Page 54 - Huge-based models never gain the Target in Melee DEF bonus. Page 65 - Combined Ranged Attacks cannot target a model in melee unless it has a huge base.

Rules Clarification:  : Warbeast      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

See also the Warbeast page for a recap of the core warbeast rules. Forcing If an ability doesn't specify how much it costs to force, it costs 1. (Infernal Ruling) Animi A single Animus can be on several models at the same time. (Infernal Ruling) Unlike in Mk2, in Mk3 if a model has an animus on it from any source and then another animus is cast on that model, it will lose the first instance of an animus and will be replaced by the second. It does not matter if either the first animus or the second animus is from a warlock or warbeast. (Infernal Ruling) An animi cast by a warlock is an animi and a spell. (Infernal Ruling) Transferring Damage If both the warlock and the warbeast are damaged by the same attack (such as an AOE), then you need to apply the 'normal' damage to the warbeast before the transferred damage. This distinction can be important when you're working out who/what actually destroyed the beast. (Infernal Ruling) Frenzy (Edit) You cannot trigger optional abilities (such as Cleave or Sprint). (Infernal Ruling) You must trigger compulsory abilities (such as Consume) ... except for compulsory abilities that also generate an extra attack (such as Berserk). In that case, you don't get the Berserk attack. (Infernal Ruling) A warbeast may not make an Assault shot as part of a Frenzy activation. If the closest target to a warbeast resolving a Frenzy cannot be charged, then the warbeast will forfeit movement and action (as per the rules of having to charge and not being able to). (Infernal Ruling) If a frenzying warbeast can't reach its charge target (because the charge lane is blocked by terrain, etc) then it will make a failed charge and end its activation. (Locked thread) If a frenzying warbeast has two melee weapons with the same POW, it can choose which one to use. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Eyeless Sight      (Edit) A model that ignores Stealth must ignore both aspects: both (1) the auto-missing, and (2) the 'not counting as an intervening model' parts. This can have some strange interactions with casters & channelers, if one has Eyeless Sight and one does not. There are examples on the Category:Channeler page. Blind vs Eyeless Sight (Edit) If a model is Blinded, and then given Eyeless Sight, then that model ignores Blind ... but it is technically still Blinded. So if you somehow later lose Eyeless Sight (for instance walking out of the range of Menoth's Sight), it will immediately go back to suffering the effects of Blind. (Infernal Ruling) Also this means stuff that only works vs Blind models (ie Hidden Blade) will still trigger vs a "Was Blinded but then got Eyeless" model. Anti-Cloud abilities vs Burning Earth (Edit) If you make a piece of terrain "Burning Earth" it counts as a cloud effect in addition to it's original type. This has 2 odd rulings: If any part of the terrain piece is "hit" by an ability that makes clouds expire (such as Gale Winds) then the entire terrain piece is taken off the table. (Infernal Ruling) If a model can ignore clouds but not the original terrain type, they don't ignore the terrain. For instance if you have a burning forest, then Eyeless Sight can't see through the forest. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Soulless - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Blighted Breath and/or Alchemical Vents - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Dragon's Breath - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Spiritual Corruption - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Withering Ash - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Boiling Blood      (Edit) If you trigger Boiling Blood via a free strike you cannot target the model making the free strike (unless the advancing model can make attacks targeting models in its back arc). This is regardless of the advancing model's actual, physical position and orientation. (Locked thread) Rules Clarification : Fire      (Edit) If you deploy in fire hazard terrain (Burning Earth), then you get set on fire before the game starts. Deploying a model in a hazard counts as being "put into play" in the hazard. Being put into play counts as "entering". When you enter a hazard, you trigger the hazard. Moving into "Shallow water" standard terrain does not cause continuous fire to expire. It's magic fire. You can always use non-standard terrain if you agree with your opponent before the game starts, however. A weapon can inflict continuous fire without itself being a fire damage weapon (for example, the Helios's fists). In this case, the attack can hurt models with Immunity:Fire it just won't apply the continuous effect. In terms of which player's clock is running down during the Maintenance Phase: The active player will roll for expiration of all the continuous effects. Then the inactive player will roll for all the damages of the continuous effects. (Judge Ruling)